Sporogenesis in male plants of Chondrus crispus ( Rhodophyta, Gigartinales).

Several cultures of male plants from widely separated geographic locations produced large masses of spores in structures that superficially resemble cystocarps but whose origins do not appear to be sexual. Spores released from these masses were viable and gave rise to plants closely resembling normal tetrasporophytes, complete with tetrasporangial sori; however, the sori released no spores and it appears likely these unusual plants were haploid with an abortive haploid meiosis in the tetrasporangia. Results suggest that carrageenan type is associated with reproductive phase and not the chromosome ploidy.-from Authors